Blot out the sun with these eclipse wallpapers

A total solar eclipse is literally an astronomical event. It requires celestial bodies lining up perfectly over millions of miles. For us to see a total eclipse on the ground, we have to be lucky enough to be on a small strip of the U.S., and we have to hope that it doesn't rain or cloud up, blocking our view of the heavens.

Well, rain or shine, totality or not, we can still enjoy a view of the eclipse on our home screens.

If you want to know more about the coming eclipse, check out NASA, because they have everything from the science behind such an awe-inspiring phenomenon to where the weather might not co-operate on Monday. They have a link to reputable eclipse sunglasses so you don't damage your eyes, they tell you ways to make the most of this rare, rare event, and they, of course, have dozens of beautiful images of solar eclipses from around the world, including this beauty.

Now, Monday's event is a total solar eclipse, where the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, and the eclipse we see is the moon's shadow on the earth. The other kind of eclipse we see is a lunar eclipse, whereby the sun, the Earth, and the full moon line up perfectly to block out all direct sunlight on the moon. Whichever style of eclipse you prefer, Project Universe has you covered! This wallpaper is a two-fer, and while I may be partial to that beautiful blue eclipse (real lunar eclipses are red, but gosh it is pretty), you can set whichever one you'd like on your home screen.

While tens of thousands of Americans are vying to spend eclipse day at a National Park where they can watch the magic in the majesty of nature, let's face it, most of us are going to get lucky to take a long lunch break to watch it in the streets of whatever city we live in. That's not to say that an eclipse is any less beautiful in a city— in fact they can be quite striking, as with this blue beauty.

Eclipses are events that happen to millions of planets surrounding thousands of sun across the universe. While the only ones we really get to see are the ones on our planet, there are artists who dare to dream of what an eclipse would look like in other solar systems. They dare to dream up fantastical views of what that could look like. The clarity of the stars, the green gleam of the ocean, it strikes at the soul.

You look at this wallpaper, and you could be forgiven for thinking that it's just a crescent moon, but that's no moon. This is a solar eclipse from Indonesia, and while it's not a crystal clear sky, the clouds actually add the to wallpaper and its beautiful aesthetic. Most of us in America will not get close enough to totality to see this, but bless, it is a sight, isn't it?